One Big, Happy Family
by CrazyCousinEiko
Summary: What do you get when you take a multilingual girl, add several pitchers of Inui juice, a dash of chaos, a pinch of sadism, and throw in a few dozen regulars? One big, happy family... more or less. On Hiatus
1. Chapter The First

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Prince of Tennis, though I do own the OCs. This is my first fanfic, so please bear with me. Arigato!

**Chapter the First: A New Beginning**

It was a clear, spring afternoon in Tokyo. The sun shined happily down upon the awakening earth, and a crisp, fresh breeze kissed my cheeks as if welcoming me back to my childhood home. I smiled to myself as I strolled slowly down the all but empty sidewalk, looking for a quiet place to pen the latest chapter of my story on paper. I gasped delightedly as I came upon a charming grassy area with a footpath weaving casually around the circumference of the park. Here and there were a few cherry trees in full bloom, and under these and elsewhere sat some elegant wire benches. The perfect azure sky overhead with its wispy cirrus clouds completed the picturesque scene.

I savored every moment of the outing because I was to start school tomorrow, and admittedly I was a bit nervous about it. I had never attended a Japanese school before. You see, my family and I had moved from Japan to Spain almost eight years ago, and this was the first time I had been in my native country since then.

The serenity of the afternoon was interrupted by the sound of two feet rapidly slapping the concrete. Before I could get out of the way, a large man of about twenty years of age rushed past me, knocking me over in the process. To my horror, the pages of my manuscript flew everywhere. Despite the harsh gesture, the man kept on sprinting, not once looking back. I bit back the anger I felt and told myself,

"Maybe he _really_ has to go to the restroom, and if he stopped to help me, he would explode. Yeah, that's probably it. Don't let that incident ruin your day. Just forgive and forget."

To my surprise, a boy about my age knelt in front of me and began collecting the scattered papers. Surprised by his unexpected appearance, I stared at him for a few seconds before snapping back to my senses and picking up the few leafs that remained. The kind stranger neatly stacked them and handed them to me after he helped me stand back up. His dark green eyes inspecting me with concern, he inquired,

"Miss, are you all right?"

"Hai, I'm fine. Arigato gozaimasu for helping me," I thanked him, bowing. "If I had lost these, Kawasaki-san would've killed me!"

"Do itashimashite. It was nothing. I'm just glad that you're okay," he said, smiling. Glancing disapprovingly in the direction of the runner, he commented, "That guy was running really fast. He should have been more careful or at least helped you up."

I casually replied, "It's nothing, really. I'm sure he had a reason for rushing off like that."

Turning back to me, he sighed, "You're probably right, but it still was very rude." Concern returning to his features, he asked, "Are any of the papers missing?"

After carefully counting them, I shook my head. "Iie. They're all here." I smiled happily, and he smiled back just as warmly, though his cheeks _did_ look a bit rosier than they did earlier.

I took the opportunity to study him a bit. He was at _least_ 18 cm taller than I, and more muscular as well. He had black hair and fair skin, as most Japanese do. However, as for the _style_ of that hair… well, let me just say that it was a bit… um, _different_. It appeared as if the boy was wearing a black swim cap with two little vampire fangs of hair to serve as bangs. Despite that oddity, he seemed to be a pleasant young man on the whole.

"So," the boy remarked, evidently trying to break the awkward silence, "if you don't mind me asking, what are you writing?"

"Nani? Oh, _this_? _This_ is… um… well… just a little story I'm writing. It's nothing, really," I stuttered, the color rising in my cheeks. He looked as if he were about to ask if he could read it, but he must have seen how flustered I was because he switched the topic entirely.

"Do you like to play any sports?"

"Hai. I used to swim on a rec swim team until I moved here. I haven't made up my mind whether I want to join a different one or just swim on my own."

An understanding smile flashed across the teen's face. "I like swimming, too. The water is so relaxing after a busy day."

"Isn't it? Ooh, I just love the way the cool water feels when I first dive in. It makes me feel like I could swim forever. What's your favorite stroke?"

"Hmm… I think that it would have to be backstroke."

"_Really?_ That's mine, too!" I shouted, ecstatic that we had something in common. "It's odd; despite meeting so many swimmers on my old team, you happen to be the first person I've met whose favorite stroke is backstroke. The funny thing is, I used to hate it. Now that I've gotten much better, I enjoy it more. I'm still _terrible_ at the butterfly, though. Do you find it challenging?" I asked, cocking my head like a little puppy.

"A little. Practice makes perfect."

"_That_ is very true," I agreed. "But my biggest problem is that I always get a cramp in my left foot after about 22 meters. Then I can't finish the race as fast as I like because I'm floundering all the way back."

A look of almost motherly worry crossed his face. "Have you checked that out? That sounds like something might be wrong with your ankle."

"Don't worry," I reassured him, shaking my head, "it's nothing, really. I think it's just the long-lasting after-effects of a badly sprained ankle. It probably won't go away, but worse things could've happened, so I don't really mind."

"What happened to your ankle?" he asked, curiosity evident in his features.

I chuckled, embarrassed. "'Twasn't really that exciting or dramatic; it was just plain stupid. It was my first week of a two-week vacation. My family and I were camping a few miles away from the nearest town. I was on one of those little merry-go-rounds at the park, the kind you have to push. Well, there were too many kids, and it went too fast. I kinda sorta lost my grip, flew off, and landed with my entire body weight on one ankle. My okaa-san told me to walk it off, so I did. That night, however, the pain hurt so much I couldn't sleep. The next morning, my ankle was beginning to swell and discolor, so I was sentenced to sit and do nothing all day long. Actually, I did get play Uno®." Smirking, I boasted, "Out of 22 games, I won 20. Now _that _was fun!"

The boy's eyebrows rose. "Twenty! Sugoi! You're really good! Do you play a lot?"

"Iie. Not anymore, really. I used to, though, along with Monopoly®."

"I have a friend whose favorite game is Monopoly®."

"I'd like to meet him sometime. I wonder who would win." Pointing to a nearby bench, I inquired, "I don't want to be rude, but do you mind if we go sit down? I've been walking around all day, and my feet ache."

"No, no, not at all. I'd like to sit down, too." No sooner had he sat down, however, his cell phone began to ring. "Sumimasen," he apologized, taking out the device.

"It's all right," I assured him, my voice low so that it wouldn't interrupt his conversation. After a short exchange of words, he shut his phone and regretfully informed me, "I have a meeting to go to. Gomen."

Trying not to show my disappointment at losing my first friend so quickly, I replied, "It's okay. You live around here?"

"Hai."

"That means we might see each other around town, then."

Smiling, he replied, "Maybe."

"It was nice meeting you. Have a great day!" I shouted and waved as he walked away.

"It was nice meeting you, too. Take care." He returned my wave and gave a warm smile.

After he had disappeared, I realized I had forgotten to ask him a very important question. Running after him, I yelled, "Matte! I forgot to ask you something! What's your name!"

«∞§∞»

Thank you for reading the first chapter! I've had to do a lot of editing on this, but I think that it was worth it. I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope that you will enjoy the next chapter! Oh, and a note to the reader: I do not always write this flowery. I think I was reading Little Women or something of the sort when I first started, so I picked up on Louisa May Alcott's style.

This used to be up on bleedingcrimson's account, but since I have account of my own, I'm posting it here. I think that I'll be doing even more editing so it might be a little while before I have all the chapters up. Thanks for your understudying!

Also, I LOVE reviews, so please review! Thanks! :D


	2. Chapter the Second

Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Prince of Tennis in any way whatsoever, though I do own the OCs.

Okay, so I've gotten to chapter two! I hope you enjoy reading it!

**Chapter the Second: My Wallet!**

"_It was nice meeting you. Have a great day!" I shouted and waved as he walked away._

"_It was nice meeting you, too. Take care." He returned my wave and gave a warm smile._

_After he had disappeared, I realized I had forgotten to ask him a very important question. Running after him, I yelled, "Matte! I forgot to ask you something! What's your name!"_

«∞§∞»

_I can't __**believe**__ that you forgot to ask him his name! What's wrong with you, you scatter-brained wench! _I mentally berated myself as I walked back to the bench. Resigning to my fate, I thought_, Oh, well, it can't be helped now. _With that settled, I took the mechanical pencil that I always keep neatly tucked behind my ear and commenced writing.

«∞§∞»

After what must have been a few hours, I ran out of paper. I shook my head and chuckled to myself,

"You silly girl! Every good writer knows that one ought to bring more supplies than one needs! Well, I would have had enough if I had brought my laptop, but I didn't want to risk breaking it…"

Standing up, I wondered aloud, "Where should I go now?" As if to answer my question, my stomach growled loudly. "That is a capital idea! I'm positively famished! Now I just have to decide where I'll go eat. It's so different from Spain here..."

Spying a burger joint on the corner, I raced across the street. _Well, it's American food, but it'll work._ When I opened the door, the smells of meat, cheese, and fries wafted into my nose. My stomach grumbled, telling me to hurry up and get in line already.

"Alright, alright, I'm going. Now hush, you," I whispered as I stepped in line. Behind me stood three boys. Two were taller than I, and one was a centimeter or two shorter. The tallest was a redhead with sparkling blue eyes, the second tallest had spiky, black hair and violet eyes, and the shortest had blackish-green hair and golden brown eyes, though it was hard to tell because he wore a white cap.

"Woo-wee!" whistled the spiky-haired one. "I'm exhausted! I feel as if I could eat ten burgers!"

"You always eat ten burgers when you come here," pointed out the short one.

"He's right, nya!" laughed the redhead, poking his friend teasingly in the abdomen. "You eat as if your stomach is a bottomless pit!"

"Well, it's so hard to stop when the food is so good!"

I had to suppress a giggle because it was my turn to order. _Boys are so odd..._ "I'd like a bacon cheeseburger, small order of fries, and a small chocolate shake, please."

"That'll be 1475 yen," the man at the register said, slightly irritated.

"Hai." I dug into my topmost pocket where I usually kept my wallet, only to discover that it was missing. "Just a second," I mumbled, smiling an embarrassed smile. I felt the heat rising into my cheeks as I searched my pockets. I was beginning to sweat now. Before I could confess that my wallet was missing, I heard someone behind me say,

"Here you go." I looked up to see the spiky-haired boy lay the money on the counter. The employee gave him the receipt, which the boy then handed to me, his thumb pointing to my number.

"A-arigato," was all that came out of my mouth. I knew my face had to be scarlet by now.

"It's nothing," he replied, smiling widely. I bowed and quickly scurried out of line. I found an empty, secluded barstool in the corner by the window. Staring absently out the glass, I hardly noticed when the three boys took the seats to my right.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" the spiky haired one asked.

"Hm? Nani?" I asked, shaking myself out of my daydream.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" he repeated.

"Oh, no, not at all. Go ahead." _It's the lest I can do, considering he just paid for my meal._

"Arigato." The trio sat down. The spiky-haired one sat closest to me, the capped one in the middle, and the redhead furthest away. Turning to me, the spiky haired one said, "So, do you live around here?"

I nodded my head. "Hai. I live in a nearby apartment. It's tall, creepy, and ugly, just like my cousin. You can't miss it."

The redhead laughed. "What school do you go to, nya?" he asked, curiosity in his sparkly blue eyes.

"Um… well, I don't currently go anywhere. I should be transferring to a local school soon, but I can't remember its name for the life of me! I think it's Seishugo? No, Seishaku?" "

"Seishun Gakuen, AKA Seigaku?" the redhead piped up excitedly.

"Yeah, that's it!" I shouted, causing everyone to stare curiously at me. My cheeks flushed and I wished the ground would swallow me up. Unfortunately, it did not heed my silent pleas. Not seeing my embarrassment, the redhead cried,

"That's where we go, nya!"

Extending my hand to the spiky-haired boy, I said, "Speaking of names, mine is Eiko. What are yours?"

"I'm Momoshiro Takeshi, but you can call me Momo-chan!" he replied amiably. Giving the short one a playful chokehold, he said, "This is Echizen Ryoma, and this is-"

"Oi! Momo! I want to tell her my name, nya!" Jumping out of his seat, the redhead walked over to me. Grabbing my hand, he pumped it up and down, shouting, "Konichiwa! My name is Kikumaru Eiji, but I go by Eiji, nya! Can I call you Megane-chan?"

I blinked a few times in surprise before I gave a faltering reply.

"S-sure, Eiji-kun…"

"Iie! It's just Eiji!"

"O…K…"

"Orders 14 and 15 are ready!" a lady at the pick-up counter called, interrupting our conversation. Looking down at my receipt, I realized that one of them was mine. I noticed that the other one belonged to the boys as Momo-chan and Eiji immediately jumped up and raced to the counter. When we all sat back down, I marveled at how much the boys had ordered.

"Wow! That's a lot of food!" I shouted, my eyes growing huge. Again, many sets of eyes turned toward the sound of my voice, and my cheeks turned scarlet. I wondered if I should have sat outside, but there was nothing I could do about it now. Eiji and Momo-chan had begun wolfing their food down while Ryoma-kun ate his more politely. After a few minutes, I asked,

"Do you guys play any sports?"

"Hai. We play tennis at Seigaku," Momo-chan replied.

"Speaking of school, I'm starting tomorrow, so be looking for me. Oh, wait… what grades are you guys in?" I inquired.

"I'm a third year," Eiji said.

"I'm a second year, and Echizen here is a first year," Momo-chan added, crushing Ryoma-kun in another headlock.

"I'm a third year, and so is my cousin," I replied.

"Who's your cousin?" Eiji asked. "I might know him."

Trying to hide my disapproval of my cousin, I retorted curtly, "I'd rather not be associated with him, thank you. I'm not trying to be impolite, but he and I don't exactly get along."

"I-I see," Eiji stuttered, a surprised expression on his face. Perhaps my sudden coldness was unexpected. However, it didn't seem to faze him for long. "Do you know what class you're in?"

"Um, I can't remember. I think I'm in class 2C, but I could be wrong."

"Eiji-sempai, isn't Oishi-sempai in that class?" Momo-chan asked the redhead, who nodded.

"Who's that?" I asked, curious. I wanted to know what this boy was like, as he _was_ my potential classmate. From my observations, any friend of theirs seemed like they had to be an interesting person.

"Oishii's the fukabuchou of the tennis team as well as the student council president. He's a worry-wart and my best friend, nya!" Eiji replied, his eyes wide and sparkling.

"Oishi-sempai and Eiji-sempai made it to the nationals last year as a doubles pair. They're Seigaku's Golden Pair."

"Sugoi! Is Oishi-kun nice?" I inquired. I received an enthusiastic "Hai!" from Momo-chan and Eiji-kun. "He's the nicest guy ever! He's so nice his nickname is the 'Mother of Seigaku,' " Eiji-kun laughed.

"That's funny. My best friends call me 'Mother Dear' and other versions of the same. I chuckled, thinking about those friends and the good times we had together. I wondered how soon I'd be able to see them again. My phone vibrated to my dismay.

"Pardon me. I have to pick up this call." Flicking the device open and holding it to my ear, I answered, "Moshi, moshi, Eiko speaking."

"Eiko, it's Sadaharu. Mom wants you to come home right away." I gritted my teeth, inwardly thinking to myself how amazing it was that my cousin was the one person who could grate on my nerves without even trying.

"Hai," I said dismissively. "I'm on my way."

"Eiko, there's a 95% chance that you're going to stall."

"What if I am?" I retorted irritably. "I'll be home soon; it's not like there's anything important happening today."

"Actually, you've got a meeting with Kawasaki-san in exactly 13 minutes and 4.72 seconds."

"Nani!" I yelled. "That's _today_! Why didn't you say so sooner!"

"…"

"Answer me, Data-head!" I looked at the screen. "Ugh! Dropped call! No está bien. ¡No, no, no!"

"Is everything okay?" Momo-chan asked.

"Not really. I have a very important appointment, and I totally forgot about it. I have to meet this lady in 13 minutes, and I know that it took me _way_ more than that to get here."

"I could give you a ride," Momo-chan offered. I gave him a doubtful glance.

"You don't look old enough to drive to me," I said, looking him over.

Momo-chan blushed, embarrassment written all over his face. "Iie! That's not what I meant! You could stand on the back of my bicycle is what I meant!"

"_OH!_" I shouted, understanding replacing my doubt. "Well, I don't know… I wouldn't mind, but you've already done more than enough. And besides, I don't want to take you away from your friends."

"Iie! It's fine! We don't mind, do we, Ochibi?" Eiji shouted, giving Ryoma-kun a hearty squeeze. All that the boy said in reply was, "That hurts, Eiji-sempai."

"See, Eiko-san, it's fine. We'd better get going if you're going to get there on time."

"O-okay!" I squeaked as Momo-chan grabbed my arm and led me outside. I waved to Eiji-kun and Ryoma-kun.

"Ja ne Eiji, Ryoma-kun!"

"Ja, Megane-chan!" Eiji called, waving enthusiastically. Ryoma-kun simply nodded a farewell.

With that, we were out the door and on our way. It crossed my mind that it probably wasn't a good idea to be alone with a boy around my age, but it was too late to do anything now. And besides, he seemed nice enough. Then again, so did a lot of other bad people. Before I knew it, we were off, riding considerably fast for one person doing all the pedaling. I leaned forward and spoke into Momo-chan's ear.

"You don't have to be so formal with me, Momo-chan. You can call me Eiko-chan if you like."

"But you're older than me!" he protested.

"Alright, then what about Eiko-sempai?" I queried. I had only been called sempai by a few of my kindergarten and first grade friends, but I knew that it was the most informal I was probably going to get with him.

"Hai!" Momo-chan agreed. We rode the most of the way in silence, only occasionally speaking to confirm what direction to take. When we finally got to the apartment, I let out a sigh of relief. After I got off the vehicle, I bowed to my new friend and said, "Arigato gozaimasu, Momo-chan! You were very kind. Hopefully we'll see each other tomorrow."

"I hope to see you too! Ja!"

"Ja!" I smiled as I watched Momo-chan pedal away. I thought to myself, _That was really fun._

«∞§∞»

Alrighty! Another chapter done… I apologize if it's boring. I'm getting pretty bored myself. Then again, this may have something to do with the fact that I have edited this chapter more times than I can count! :P Any-who, hope you enjoyed it, and the other ones to come as well!


	3. Chapter the Third

I will reiterate to those who are reading that I do not own Prince of Tennis in any way, shape, or form, but I do own my OCs. Arigato gozaimasu to all those who continue to read even though I've published all of this previously! I promise that more substantial changes shall come in time. :)

**Chapter the Third: Substitute Evil**

After Momo-chan had gone out of sight, I rushed into the lobby and ran up the stairs. My cell began to vibrate in my pants' pocket. Opening it quickly, I answered,

"Data-head, if you're wondering where on earth I am, I'm in the building. If Kawasaki-san is there, tell her I'll be with her shortly. Now get lost!"

To my utter embarrassment, an unfamiliar voice said, "_Excuse me, is this Inui Eiko?"_

"Hai! Gomenasai!" I apologized. "I thought it was my pesky cousin. May I ask who is speaking, sir?"

"_This is Officer Mastumoto from the Tokyo Police station. I have a wallet that might belong to you. Could you please describe it?"_

"Hai. It is a black denim wallet with scarlet and gold embroidered dragons and sakura blossoms. The edges of the wallet are also gold. There is a tri-fold compartment for money and room for library cards and such in the front and a zip-up pocket in the back for loose change, receipts, and train passes. Before it was stolen, it had about 1000 yen, 20 euros, and $15 as well as a traveler's check for $30. I also had five library cards, a monthly train pass, and my passport."

"_T-that's good enough, Ma'am. Come to the station to reclaim your wallet as soon as possible. When you arrive, ask for Officer Mastumoto."_

"Hai. Arigato gozaimasu. Bai-bai." I hung up the phone just as I unlocked the door.

"I'm home!" I called. Seeing that Kawasaki-san wasn't there, I reluctantly asked my cousin, "Data-head, where is Kawasaki-san?"

"She wasn't able to make it today. She rescheduled for next week," he informed me.

"Then I'll be in my room," I said coolly as I brushed past him.

"Matte, Eiko. I forgot to tell you-" Data-head started, but I slammed the door before he could finish. I took out my MacBook and turned it on before I climbed into bed. Making myself comfortable, I logged in and opened up a new word document. Taking out what I had worked on at the park, I proceeded to type. I dove into the world of legendary swordsmen and stealthy assassins that I had labored to create. I thought heard a knock at the door, but I ignored it, knowing that Aunt and Uncle weren't home yet.

"Eiko," Data-head said as he stuck his head into the room from behind the door. "I forgot to tell you that Dad and I are going to be gone for the next week or two, so I volunteered you to be substitute manager for the boys' tennis team."

"You **WHAT**!" I yelled, setting my computer aside and scrambling out of bed. I swung the door open and stormed out. "How on earth could you do this! You _know_ that I know barely anything about tennis worth speaking of! You can't _possibly_ expect me to train a bunch of boys I don't know in a sport I hardly know!"

"Oh, I arranged it so that you can teach them swimming techniques. Your years of experience should be enough to adequately train them."

"Ugh! Can't you get someone else to do your dirty work?" I asked angrily, trying to find some way out of this.

"Iie. I'm leaving tomorrow, and there's nobody else I would entrust this to. I have all the resources you need. Here." He handed me a journal with tabs bearing the names of the regulars. I spied three I recognized. _Eiji, Momo-chan, and Ryoma-kun are on the regulars… this will be interesting, _I thought happily to myself. Out loud, I huffed, "Fine, whatever you say, _dear_ cousin." I trudged back into my "lair" and shut the door angrily behind me.

After I had gotten ready for bed, I prepared for tomorrow morning. Seeing how the boys acted today, I had to be prepared for not only their eccentric behavior but anyone else's as well. The first things I packed were my beloved goggles and swim cap, the latter bearing my team's iconic shark logo, in the outside pocket. Next I packed the notebook Data-head had given to me. Even though I normally would have totally ignored the gesture and simply thrown the journal away, I knew that I needed to study up on my students if I were going to be a good teacher. _Wait– what am I thinking? I never study! But that's beside the point._ On the other side of the bag I placed my own journal in which I wrote and doodled when inspiration hit me. After that I packed my pool sandals.

Last, I stuffed –I mean, _nicely folded and packed_– my school uniform. It was the most ugly pastel green and pink color I've ever had the displeasure of wearing. The skirt was much too high in my opinion, and the fit, well… let's just say that it _didn't_. Oh, and the _shoes!_ The only shoes I owned were a few pairs of boots, one pair of tennis shoes, and a pair of sandals. As you might be able to tell, school regulated shoes don't fit into any of those categories… especially not the boots.

After all that was said and done, I set out the clothes I would wear on the way to school and during the boys' practice. I laid out my racing swimsuit, team shirt, and a pair of black gym shorts to match. My old team's colors were black, red, and silver, so they matched pretty much the majority of the clothes I owned. However, I preferred wearing my gym clothes over anything else when I had a swimsuit underneath. It just felt more _comfy_. I also set out a pair of sports socks and my well-worn tennis shoes.

Surveying my room, I found that I was completely prepared for the morrow. Smiling to myself, I set my alarm, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. "Buenas noches," I faintly whispered, laying my head on my soft pillow. Soon I was fast asleep, dreaming of diving into crystal clear water and swimming to my heart's content.

«∞§∞»

Yay! Another chapter done! I know it was really short, but I thought it was a good place to cut off. Anyway, I hope that you liked it.

Also, Thank you to my first reviewers,

GotenLover91: I'm glad that this is an interesting and entertaining story! :D I haven't read Prince of Tennis fan fics for a few years, but when I read them extensively, there seemed to be a lot of Japanese. This is the second time I'm publishing this story, but I've taken out some of the Japanese and Spanish because I personally thought it was a little overkill, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

xbamsod: Originally, I was going to have Eiko be Eiji's cousin, but I'm glad that I decided against it. I'd personally be annoyed if he was my cousin, but I'm sure we'd be able to manage to get along... or maybe not. O.o

Rainbowlalaland: Here is your next chapter! :D

I'll be updating semi-frequently - I have edited up to Ch. 12, but I'd like to space out everything so I can remember what i wrote for the chapters afterwards... I wrote up to ch. 15 but my computer lost the documents :'( so now I'm starting 13 and on from scratch. DX

Again, thank you, everyone, for your support! *bows*

Please review! :D


	4. Chapter the Fourth

Hello, all. Thanks for the encouragement and advice, and thanks to all who have kept on reading! Happy readers make happy authors. ^-^ See?

A/N– Disclaimer: I own neither Prince of Tennis nor Reliant K or their album or song… *sigh*

Chapter the Fourth: The Regulars!

_Beep! Beep! Be- __**Smack**__! _My alarm clock clattered to the floor after I gave it an irritable whack with the rubber mallet I kept tucked beside my pillow. I groggily turned on the light and got out of bed. Looking at the various pieces on the floor, I shook my head and mumbled, "Looks like I'll be fixing that ol' thing up again tonight."

After taking a shower and brushing my teeth, I slipped into the clothes I had set out the night before and headed to the kitchen. I sleepily packed my bento and my trusty water bottle and stuck them into my schoolbag along with the things I had packed last night. Leaving a note on the fridge saying that I had gone to school, I exited our apartment and made my way down the stairs. Hefting the large bag over my shoulder once more, I grumbled,

"I gotta get one of those rolling backpacks one of these days!" I pulled out a honey-yogurt-flavored protein bar and set off in the general direction of the school. Data-head had given me a map as well as detailed word directions (for lack of a better term), so I figured that I probably wouldn't get lost. I smiled to myself and began to sing my favorite walking song, "Pressin' On" by Reliant K.

Suddenly I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and would have fallen if it were not for the pair of arms that caught me. Despite his obvious strength, the stranger gently helped me to my feet. I faced him and was about to say, "Thank you," but the words stuck in my throat. For a few seconds, we stared at each other, at a loss for words. The boy's deep green eyes were all too familiar.

"It's- it's you, from yesterday!" I exclaimed, finally finding my breath. The boy apparently recognized me, too.

"That's right! We met at the park. Are you on your way to Seigaku?"

"Hai. I'm Eiko. No need to know my surname; just call me Eiko-chan." I bowed and then held out my hand. Taking it, he replied,

"I'm Oishi Shuichiro, but you can just call me Oishi-kun if you like."

"Okay… Wait! Did you say '_Oishi'?_ You must be Eiji's friend!" Before he could answer, I felt a pair of arms encircle me from behind and squeeze me.

"Ohayo, Megane-chan! How are you, nya?"

"Um, fine. Eiji… please… let… go!" I squeaked, trying in vain to pry him off. To my relief, Oishi-kun intervened, and Eiji loosened his hold. 'Thanks,' I mouthed, still trying to get my breath back.

"Daijoubu?" Oishi-kun asked as we began walking. I nodded, unable to speak. Oishi-kun walked to my left and Eiji to my right. I laughed,

"Oi, oi, Eiji! ¡Eres un payaso!" This comment caused the boys to stop in their tracks. Realizing that they were no longer walking, I turned around. "¿Qué paso? Oh! Lo siento- gomen. What I said was, 'You're a clown.' "

"Oh…" they said simultaneously. Eiji piped up, "What language is that?"

"Español… ano… Spanish."

"How many languages do you know, Eiko-chan?" Oishi-kun asked when we headed toward the school once again.

"A ver… tres- three: English, Spanish, and Japanese. At least, those are the ones I can speak without thinking much about. As of now I'm learning Italian. What about you guys? Do you know much English, or just Japanese, or…"

"I'm okay with English, but Oishii's English is sugoi!" Eiji shouted.

"Really?" I asked, looking up at the tallest of our group. He blushed and replied,

"Well, I'm okay, I guess. English is my favorite subject, though…"

"Hey, look, Oishii! It's Fujiko and Taka-san! Oi! Fujiko! Taka-san! Over here!" Eiji yelled as he ran off to meet two of his friends. Shaking his head, Oishi-kun said,

"That Eiji…" Oishi-kun sighed, staring after his energetic friend. Looking at me, he apologized, "Sorry about him leaving us like that."

"Oh, that's fine. I'm used to my friend Aimee-chan being all over the place. I'm kind of that way, too…" I cast a glance at the redhead, who was dragging a tall, nervous brunette toward us while a shorter brunette followed calmly behind them as if this were a normal occurrence… then again, knowing Eiji, maybe it was.

"Megane-chan! Megane-chan! This is Taka-san, and this is Fujiko!" Eiji announced, pointing to the large one and small one respectively.

"Ohayo gozaimasu. I'm Eiko. Nice to meet you… Um… what would you like me to call you guys?"

"Y-you can just call me Taka-san, ha, ha," he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. When he had first come up to us, I was intimidated by his size. However, I now saw that he was a gentle giant.

"Watch this," Eiji whispered as he slipped a tennis racquet in Taka-san's hand. Suddenly, the taller boy swung the device over his head like a lasso and yelled,

"Moerze! _Burning_! Taka-san is just fine, Eiko-chan! Great-oooooo!" Dropping the racquet, he reverted back to the way he was before. "Ha, ha. Gomenasai, Eiko-chan," he apologized.

"It's perfectly fine. I forgive you," I laughed softly, a little weirded out by his Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde-like display. Turning to "Fujiko," I asked, "¿Y tú…? I mean, 'and you?' "

"Fuji-kun is fine," he replied, his voice soft like the coo of a dove. Wisps of brown hair framed his delicate features, giving him an effeminate appearance. His eyes were closed, so I could only guess as to their color. He was the nearest to my height, making me feel at ease.

"Saa, Eiko-chan, what brings you to Seigaku so early in the morning?" Fuji-kun asked me. Everyone except Fuji-kun and I halted as the question sunk in.

"What _are_ you doing here?" Oishi-kun asked, curiosity evident in his sparkling green eyes.

"I'm here to help you guys, actually," I stated, a blush creeping up my cheeks as I spoke.

"Us? Why?" Eiji queried, his blue eyes growing large.

"I'm substitute manager for the boys' regulars on the tennis team for the next two weeks. In other words, I'm training you instead of that freak Data-head."

"Yatta! So you play tennis, too? You never said so when we talked yesterday!" Eiji shouted excitedly. I shook my head.

"Iie. I'm a swimmer, so I'll be teaching you how to swim or improve swimming, as the case may be." I glanced at Oishi-kun, remembering our talk yesterday. He smiled back at me, most likely knowing what I was thinking. Seeing the unspoken exchange, a smiling Fuji-kun inquired,

"What are you two scheming?" We looked at each other.

"_Us_? Nothing. _Me_? That's another story entirely." I smiled mischievously as the regular's faces held a mixture of worry, nervousness, and excitement. "Any-who, since we're here, let's head straight to the pool!" I started to run ahead until I realized something. "That is, after you tell me where the pool is…"

"The pool is this way," Fuji-kun informed me, leading the way.

As we walked toward our destination, we heard a familiar voice shout, "Oi! Sempai-taichi! Where are you going? The courts are– Eiko-sempai, what are you doing here?" Momo-chan halted in mid-stride, regarding me with a curious look.

"Ohayo, Momo-chan! We're just heading over to the pool. I'm your temporary manager, which means that I'm mixing things up a little," I told him as he jogged toward us. I gave him an affectionate side hug and asked, "¿Qué paso? What's up?"

"N-not much, Eiko-sempai," he replied, flustered at the close contact. Seeing the blush rising up his cheeks, I apologized,

"Gomen. Back in Madrid, we always greet our friends with a hug, or if it's two girls, with a kiss on each cheek. You don't do that here, do you?" The regulars shook their heads. Momo-chan asked,

"Where's Madrid?"

"Fssssshhhhhh. It's the capital of Spain, baka," a gruff voice answered. Momo-chan whirled around and yelled,

"Shut up, Mamushi! I was asking Eiko-sempai, not you!"

"It's not my fault you're such a baka!"

"You're the baka, Mamushi!"

"¡Chicos! ¡Silencio, ahora!" I commanded, stepping in between them before they got into a fight. I shook my finger and chided, "¡Vosotros no somos niños! ¿Somos jóvenes, no?*"

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Eiji said, "Nani!"

"Oops… I just began ranting in Spanish again, didn't I?" The rest of the boys nodded.

"Lo siento… gomen. I forget myself sometimes. My mother is from Madrid, so she speaks Spanish at home, while my father, who is from Tokyo, primarily speaks Japanese. However, since my father is gone a lot of the time, I'm more used to speaking Spanish. Also, I've lived in Spain for the last seven years or so, except for the few months the last three years I traveled to the U.S. as an exchange student, but that's another story."

"Ohhh…" they chorused. Oishi-kun prompted, "Let's get going before we get in trouble with Ryuzaki-sensei for loitering when we should be practicing. Oh, Eiko-chan, this is Kaido Kaoru. Kaido, this is Eiko-chan. She's substitute manager this week and plans on –ahem– 'mixing things up a little.' "

"Ohayo, Eiko-sempai. Fssshhh…" Kaido-kun greeted as he bowed respectfully.

"Ohayo, Kaido-kun," I replied as I bowed. When we arrived at the pool, I surveyed the area. It was an outdoor pool complete with seven, 25-meter-long lanes, each with a diving block at one end. I walked over to the edge and kneeled. Running my hand through the cool water, I closed my eyes and inhaled contentedly. _I definitely must make use of this pool!_ Standing back up, I turned to the regulars and sighed,

"Oh, that feels so good! You lucky ducks better get your suits on, 'cause if I were you, I wouldn't want to miss a minute of this!" I teased, shooing them into the locker rooms. As they exited, I counted the swimsuit-clad lads.

"Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis… ¿Seis? ¿Donde están números siete y ocho?" I asked. For the boys' sake, I repeated the question in Japanese. "Where are numbers seven and eight? Shouldn't there be two more here?"

Momo-chan laughed, "Echizen's late again! If he doesn't hurry up, buchou's gonna make him run laps…"

"Oh, shoot! Ryoma-kun doesn't know about this, does he? I should've asked the people at the courts to tell him to come over here! Momo-chan, could you please get him?" I asked, looking over at the spiky-haired boy. Seeing my panicked expression, he agreed and took off. I turned to the others and ordered,

"Yoshi! Minna, get in, two to a lane! Arrange yourselves as you please, and I'll make adjustments as needed, if needed. I want you all to just get used to the pool during morning practice, so just start with a 100 nice and easy- that is, a slow 4 lengths, or down and back 4 times. ¿Verdad? I mean– hai?"

"Hai! Eiko/Eiko-chan/sempai!" everyone chorused, obeying my instructions. Kaido-kun took the lane to the very left (as in mine), followed by Fuji-kun and Taka-san in the next, and Oishi-kun and Eiji in the middle lane. Before Oishi-kun could start, though, I knelt on the edge of the pool and asked,

"Oishi, who's missing besides Momo-chan and Ryoma-kun?"

"Oh, just Tezuka. He's the buchou, so he'll be coming in just a little bit."

"Souka. I'll have him swim in the lane to your left, okay?"

"Hai. I'll be sure to tell Tezuka."

"Tell me what?" a deep, masculine voice asked. I looked up to see a very tall, stern-looking male with brown, sweeping hair parted on one side. Piercing hazel eyes lay behind oval-shaped, wire-rimmed glasses. I subconsciously adjusted my dark purple, rectangular-shaped ones and began to stand up. Unfortunately, I lost my balance and fell back first into the pool. A wave of water splashed onto Tezuka-buchou, who, despite his now water-spattered glasses, remained stoic. I playfully kicked the wall, threw my arms back behind my head, and swept them toward my sides, propelling myself a meter or so away from the edge. I rolled my head back and enjoyed the water for a few seconds before turning my body and front crawling toward the edge again.

"Daijoubu, Eiko-chan?" Oishi-kun asked worriedly.

"Hai, Oishi-kun. Daijoubu. It's a good thing that I thought ahead and wore my swimsuit and gym clothes instead of regular clothes!" I laughed as I climbed out of the water. Tezuka-buchou extended his left hand, which I gladly accepted. _Lefty, hmm? Interesting._

"Gracias… I mean, arigato, Buchou."

"Ah," was his only reply. After I stood up, I told him,

"Please get in the empty lane next Oishi-kun and do a 100. It's only a warm up, so try not to go too fast."

"Ah," he said emotionlessly as he got in. Squeezing some liquid from my hair, I smiled as Momo-chan dragged a sleepy Echizen through the double doors.

"Oi, Ryoma-kun, you're late!" I joked. "C'mon, you'd better hurry your butt up and get in. Do a 100 nice and easy, 'kay?"

"Hai," they replied simultaneously as they hopped in. By this time, Kaido-kun, Fuji-kun, and Taka-san had already finished. I had them do a 200 and surveyed the swimmers now that I wasn't pre-occupied. I chuckled as I watched Momo-chan flounder around in an attempt to catch up to Kaido-kun. Shaking my head, I shouted,

"Oi! Momo-chan! I said 'nice and easy,' not 'flounder around like a dying fish!' Don't go so fast! We're just warming up! We'll get to speed later!"

Fuji-kun laughed softly while Momo-chan's cheeks reddened. Kaido-kun mumbled, "Baka," and kept on swimming. Thankfully, Momo-chan didn't hear it, or else another fight would have ensued. When I had finished my critique, I took out Data-head's notebook and scribbled down my observations. I heard Momo-chan whisper to Ryoma-kun,

"Oi, Echizen, doesn't that look eerily like Inui-sempai's notebook?"

Without turning, I replied, "That's because it _is_ his notebook." Turning to them, I chuckled, "Are you _really_ that surprised? Don't you think that he'd want someone to record data on the regulars when he's gone, whether it's something that involves tennis or not?"

"That's true…" Momo-chan admitted. "But why would he trust you with it?"

"Because he knows that no matter how much I dislike him, I would never, **ever** let anything bad happen to a notebook, even if it _is_ his. Plus I happen to be his cousin, if you hadn't figured that out yet."

"What!"

"Apparently you haven't… Well, let's just keep that secret between us, shall we?" I winked, and Momo-chan.

When practice was over, I sent everyone to the locker rooms to change. After they got dressed, I had them stand in a straight line. Looking at each person as I addressed him, I announced,

"Now, minna, for what we'll work on after school… I'm planning to make a customized practice catered for each of your specific needs. Kaido-kun, Data-head told me that you are an endurance athlete, so I'll have some drills for you to work on that as well as your form. Fuji-kun, your form is better than most people's, so I think that you could add speed to the equation. Taka-san, your form could use some tweaking. Also, you need to apply more of that power of yours to your strokes; if you do that, you'll be a lot faster. Tezuka-buchou, your form is good, but you should practice some drills before you add on the speed.

"Eiji, you need to build up more endurance and lung capacity. Right now, you don't seem to going very far, and, if you excuse my saying so, your mediocre form isn't helping you any. Oishi-kun, your front crawl is pretty much perfect, and I'm assuming your other strokes are the same caliber, so you can work on whatever you wish during afternoon practice. Ryoma-kun, I recommend you do the same as Tezuka buchou, although I have different drills in mind. And as for you, Momo-chan…" I sighed, not knowing how to break it to him nicely.

"You have potential, but… you need practice… _**lots**_ of practice. Your form and stamina are both in dire need of work. But don't worry; by the end of these next two weeks, you'll get better; you _all_ will."

Just then, the warning bell rang. Clapping my hands, I said, "Alright, chicos, you'd better get going! Minna, you're dismissed!"

«∞§∞»

Yoshi! Another chapter done!

Here's a shout out to my to my lovely reviewer! :D

xbamsod: It's very handy to have these, but I can't let myself be a slacker just because of it. That's gotten me in trouble before. Thankfully, I found part the original handwritten draft of Chapter the Thirteenth, so I'll have less work to do, which is nice considering that Ch. 13 was the most difficult to write.

Thank you also to all those who read and reviewed my other one shots! Another thank you to all of you following and favoriting my stories! It's always encouraging to know that one's work is appreciated. :)

* What she essentially just said was, "You aren't children! You are young men, no?"

In volume 23, "Genius 194: The Terror of the Red Eyes", Konomi-sensei actually shows a small picture of the pool. My original description of the pool was an inside one, so I had to change it in order to go with the book. Of course, I don't know if anyone besides me even remembers about that, but nonetheless, I want to match the original on these matters as closely as humanly possible (give or take a mistake or three ^-^).

If you guys don't like me having so much Spanish, let me know, and I'll try to keep it to a minimum. However, if you want more Spanish, I'll be more than glad to put more in! ^-^ Remember what I said: "Happy readers make happy authors!" With that, I bid you adieu. Adieu!


	5. Chapter the Fifth

Hello, all! I'm back for chapter five! Yay! Thank you to all my lovely readers, and a special thanks to my awesome beta-readers bleedingcrimson and K-chan for helping make this even better!

A/N: /When the text in enclosed in backslashes like this, it means that the character is speaking English/

Chapter the Fifth: Suzuki-sensei

Everyone except for Oishi-kun and I had left. I nervously twirled a strand of hair between my middle and index fingers as I asked,

"What did you think of this morning? Is there anything you recommend that I change, or is it too early to tell, or…? Oh, I don't know what I'm saying! Please just tell me your thoughts on this morning!" My cheeks reddened as the barrage of words flew out of my mouth.

Oishi-kun put his hands up as if to shield himself. "Whoa, whoa, Eiko-chan, slow down! I think you did well this morning, but it's hard to tell since we were just getting used to the pool. You seem to know a lot, though, so I wouldn't worry about it. Just continue to be enthusiastic about it, and it'll catch on."

"Thanks," I replied, blushing. _Stupid blood vessels, _I thought.

"Eiko-chan, do you know where your classroom is?" Oishi-kun asked in what seemed to be his usual motherly tone.

Shaking my head I replied, "Iie. I know what number it is, though. I'm in class 2C. Isn't that your class?"

"Hai. Looks like we'll be classmates. Do you need to go to the office and pick up your uniform and schedule?"

"Iie. Data-head got them for me already, but thank you for reminding me. Oh! I almost forgot! I need to change!" I shouted, looking down at my now slightly damp clothes.

"Don't worry; you have enough time," Oishi-kun assured me. As if to contradict his statement, the warning bell rang once more. Simultaneously looking up at the clock, we jumped.

"Oh, shoot! It's nearly time for class to start! I can't get changed and to class and not be tardy!" I began to panic, which is not a good thing. I rarely panic, but when I do, my brain goes haywire and can't function properly. I would've started walking in circles and debating on what to do if Oishi-kun hadn't been there. Grabbing my hand, he said,

"Let's go! You might have time to get into uniform later!"

I barely had enough time to grab my things before my friend dragged me out the door in an unusually hasty state. Not letting go for fear of losing my classmate in the winding halls, I stumbled awkwardly after him, earning glares and confused stares from many. Pushing open a door, Oishi-kun breathed,

"We made it! Why don't you give me your things while you go and change?"

"Okay," I answered. "Can you please hand me my uniform?"

Before Oishi-kun could give it to me, however, the teacher came in. He wore a large scowl on his face that said, 'I'd rather be anywhere but here right now.' Seeing me without my uniform, he growled,

"You there! What are doing in those clothes? Don't you know school policy? Go to the principal's office at once! And Oishi-kun!" the man shouted, pointing at the boy as if he had committed a heinous crime. "What are you doing holding her uniform? It's preposterous! Give it to the girl at once and take your seat!"

"Sensei," Oishi-kun tried to reason, "Eiko-chan was involved in an activity in which school uniform was not appropriate. However-"

"I'll tell you what's not appropriate! Disobeying a teacher, that's what! Both of you, to the principal's office, NOW!"

"Hai!" we replied as we made a hasty retreat. As we walked, I felt my cheeks grow hotter and hotter. "Gomen, Oishi-kun. I didn't mean for you to get into this mess."

"It's all right, Eiko-chan. Saito-sensei is pretty impatient. I just hope that we don't miss an essential lesson. Are you good at math?"

"Iie! I'm terrible! Math is the bane of my existence!"

"Uh oh, that's not good. Saito-sensei is the math teacher."

"Oh, great. Just what I need. An evil teacher teaching an evil subject."

In true gentleman form, Oishi-kun opened the door to the principal's office for me. I held it open behind me as I walked in, ensuring that the door wouldn't slam into his face. The principal had short, silvery-black hair and eyes that reminded me of a pool of mercury. She wore a kind smile on her face and a pair of silver wire glasses with a silver chain attached.

"Oishi-kun, how good to see you. I hope that you're doing well."

"Hai, I am. Domo arigato."

"What brings you two to my office? I hope that you're not in trouble," the woman said with a mixture of concern and mischief in her voice.

"Well… um… you see…" I blushed, embarrassed that I couldn't find the mental key to unlock my enormous word bank. I felt Oishi-kun rest his hand on my shoulder. He gave me a smile and whispered,

"Don't worry; I'll take care of it." I nodded, relieved that I didn't have to explain myself.

"My friend Eiko-chan got in trouble with Saito-sensei because she didn't have her uniform on, and I got in trouble because I was in the process of handing it to her so she could change before class started."

"Souka." Rubbing her temples, the principal complained, "I swear, one of these days, that Saito will be the end of me. Eiko-chan, is it?"

"Hai."

"Alright, then. Eiko-chan, why weren't you in uniform this morning?"

"Well, you see, I was substitute manager for the tennis regulars in place of Inui Sadaharu this morning. Since I was teaching them swimming techniques, I knew there was a large possibility of getting wet (which I did ), so I didn't wear my uniform. However, by the time practice was over, I didn't have time to change. In fact, I don't know if anyone did. Well, I guess Oishi-kun did, since he's in uniform…

"_Anyway_, Oishi-kun and I ran to class, hoping that I'd be able to quickly change before it started. Unfortunately, Saito-sensei arrived just as Oishi-kun handed me my uniform. He then sent us promptly to your office, and that's the end of our story."

"Souka. Well, I think that you have a sufficient excuse. Keeping those boys in line is hard work, isn't it, Oishi-kun?" At this, she winked at the flushed boy.

"Sometimes…" Obviously, there was more to be said, but he wasn't about to reveal it. _Maybe he doesn't want to scare me off, _I thought.

"Domo arigato gozaimasu for your understanding, um… what's your name, Ma'am?" I blushed at my impoliteness.

"Oh, dear, I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? It seems that this morning is topsy-turvy. But, hey, that's every Monday goes, ne?" she laughed.

"You may call me Suzuki-san or Suzuki-sensei, whichever you prefer. By the way, I've heard so, so many good things about you. I know I haven't personally welcomed you to the school, so let me just say so right now. Welcome to Seishun Gakuen, Inui Eiko-chan. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Beaming, the principal grasped my hand and heartily shook it. I grinned and shook her hand in return.

"My, you have a good grip! Have you ever considered playing a sport like, say, _tennis_?" She not so discreetly winked at Oishi-kun, who blushed slightly.

"Tennis?" I wondered aloud, pretending I hadn't seen. "Iie. I'd probably whack everyone and everything _but_ the ball. I'm not that sporty at all. I'm simply a swimmer that can never go at more than a leisurely pace."

"Well, you're intellectual achievements compensate for any other weaknesses you have, I assure you. It's an honor having you at the school, and –Gracious! First period is nearly over! My land,I'm sorry, my dears! I've kept you here far too long. Well, here's a note, and hopefully you won't catch the tail end of Saito's wrath. Have a good day! And welcome again, Eiko-chan!" The cordial Suzuki-sensei walked us out to the hall. After giving us one last smile, she shut the door and went back to her work.

Oishi-kun began to walk to our classroom, and I hurriedly followed. Looking back at me, he said with a tone of curiosity, "I heard Suzuki-sensei call you Inui Eiko… Are you and Sadaharu related?"

I sighed, "Hai. He's my cousin. We're temporarily living together until… I don't know when, but I don't really want to talk about Data-head right now. Just thinking about him puts me in a bad mood."

"Oh," Oishi-kun said apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's fine. You didn't know. Just don't mention it to the rest of the regulars. Well, I told Momo-chan, actually, but he's the only other one."

"Hai." An awkward silence settled. The sound of our steps on the tile floors was the only thing to be heard. I glanced through the windows to the outside, sighing sadly at the cloudy sky. Feeling the need for conversation, I said,

"Suzuki-sensei is really nice… especially compared to Saito-sensei." I shuddered at his mental image. My mind's eye gave him demon horns, a long tail with a spade on the end, and a pair of huge, dorky glasses. I nearly laughed as I imagined myself driving him into the ground using a huge mallet.

"I know what you mean. But don't worry, the rest of the teachers are kind, especially our homeroom teacher. You won't meet him until the end of the day, though."

"What subject is next?"

"That would be English."

"Oh… I wonder if it'll be better or worse than taking English in Spain. It got really boring, but I aced all my tests, so I guess that's a good thing. And I got a lot of practice with editing." I sighed, "If I got paid for all the editing I did both in and out of school, I'd be rich… or at least have more money than I do now."

"Do you like editing?" Oishi queried.

"Es interesante, I suppose."

"Nani?"

"Oh, gomen, there goes my mouth again. I said that '[it] is interesting.' "

"So, what do you like about it?"

"It gives me more experience with writing, and I get to read all sorts of stuff nobody else does. I suppose I could be an editor/book reviewer when I grow up, but I doubt it."

"Why?" He seemed genuinely curious, so I went on.

"Well… I'd rather write my own stories. I mean, I already am writing one, but I'd like to continue with other projects once I'm done with it. The one I'm working on is so much fun, and I can't imagine actually completing it, but I know that it'll happen someday…" We reached the class. "I'm going to change now. I'll meet you in there."

Oishi nodded and went into the classroom. After I had changed, I went into class and handed my next teacher the note. The woman, who had wavy red hair that reached her thin waist, smiled and shook her head.

"I'm surprised that old geezer has stuck around for as long as he has," she commented. "Thank you, Eiko-chan. You may go back to your seat. Oh, and welcome to the school. I hope that I can make this as interesting as possible for you despite your experience in this subject."

"/Thank you, Ma'am. /"

"/You're welcome, Miss Eiko. /"

I sat down and diligently listened to the rest of the lesson. _Maybe things won't be so difficult after all._

«∞§∞»

Yeah-ya! I hope ya'll're liking it so far. I know the plot is a little slow right now, but that's because I'm still writing down the setting of the story. I promise that things will get better in time… Soon I will incorporate a little concoction known as "Inui Juice." I haven't quite worked out the plotline that far, but be assured that it is set in immovable stone! Oops, I knocked it over! Oh, well, it's the thought that counts, right? Right? *crickets chirp in the background* Fine! Be that way! *Goes and sulks in a corner and cultivates mushrooms* Ja! ^-^

And now to my lovely reviewers!

xbamsod: Thank you for consistently reviewing! *chibi cries* To answer your question, she did deign to look at her cousin's notes, but she didn't understand half of them, so she used her old training regimen from her rec team. Or that is, _I_ used my training regimen from my old rec team. :P She does more research than anyone realizes. :P She adjusts as she deems necessary, but ya'll will find that out later. ;)


	6. Chapter the Sixth

¡Hola, todos! ¿Cómo están? To those who don't speak Spanish, "Hello, everyone! How're you?" All right, I've edited and re-posted yet another chapter!

**Chapter the Sixth: Of Lunch and Other Things**

_Brrring! Brrring!_ The bell rang, signaling that it was time for lunch. As one, the students rose and surged out of the classroom in a deluge. Suddenly, all was still. I sat at my desk, unsure of where to go. A shadow crossed my desk, and I looked up to see Oishi-kun gazing worriedly down at me.

"Is there something wrong, Eiko-chan?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Iie. I just don't know where to eat lunch. I haven't been to a new school in a while…"

"Oh, you can eat with us! I'm sure the others won't mind."

"If they don't mind… Okay!"

I held onto the back of Oishi-kun's shirt so as not to get lost. Since he didn't protest, I figured he didn't mind. Some girls glared at me coldly, causing me to tighten my grip on Oishi-kun. They only glared at me more, but they did nothing to hurt me. _This could be trouble,_ I thought to myself. We wound through the throngs of kids until we found a table tucked away in a corner of the cafeteria and away from the raving fangirls, who seemed more than ready to kill me at a moment's notice. I took a seat between Oishi-kun and Momo-chan. The latter smiled at me and cheerfully greeted,

"Yo, Eiko-sempai! How're you?"

"Bien… I mean, good," I replied as I gave him a side hug. Momo-chan blushed slightly, but I didn't notice.

"Nya!" I heard someone scream. "Megane-chan!" The force of Eiji's tackle nearly sent us crashing to the floor. The redhead snuggled me affectionately until I gently pushed him away, squeaking,

"Eiji, please, that's enough!" By now, my cheeks nearly rivaled Eiji's hair in terms of color.

"Gomen, Megane-chan, but you're just so kawaii!"

Everyone anime sweat dropped at this statement except for Tezuka-buchou and Fuji-kun. The latter simply sat there and smiled. _What is it with these people who never change their facial expression! _I thought. I absentmindedly nibbled my peanut-butter and honey sandwich, another food I had become addicted to when I visited to America, as the others talked. Eiji sat on the other side of Oishi-kun, and Ryoma-kun was seated on the other side of Momo-chan. Opposite to Ryoma-kun sat Tezuka-buchou. Fuji was in between Buchou and Taka-san. Finally, Kaido sat near the edge of the bench, somewhat secluded from the rest of the chaos.

I listened to their chatter but said nothing, instead planning what I would do after I finished my homework. _Even though you don't particularly feel like it, you ought to probably write. The deadline was yesterday, and you still have two chapters to write and self-edit._ I yawned and rested my head on my hand, half wishing that I didn't' have to meet the deadlines looming in front of me like a giant brick wall monster with pudgy fingers, boat-sized feet, and triangular-shaped teeth. It didn't help that my mind's eye pictured a black background with ground lighting that emphasized all of the creature's evil features. At times like these, I hate my imagination.

"Wasn't it, Eiko-sempai?" Momo-chan asked, breaking me from my thoughts. He looked at me expectantly.

"Nani?" I asked, so startled that I fell backwards off the bench. Thankfully, Momo-chan and Oishi-kun caught me.

"Careful," Oishi-kun warned as he and Momo-chan helped me back onto my seat.

"That's usually _my_ line!" I laughed playfully. Smiling at my other friend, I asked, "Now, what was that you were asking me, Momo-chan?"

"I was telling them about how you met Echizen, Eiji-sempai, and me at the burger shop yesterday. Wasn't it fun?"

"Hai," I replied. "It was great, even though I wasn't able to stay there very long…"

"Oh, yeah, how did that appointment go, Eiko-sempai?" Momo-chan asked. Eiji stopped what he was doing and listened in, curious as well.

"Unfortunately, the other person had to cancel and reschedule for next week," I informed them. "However, that gave me some time to finish up what I was working on."

"What were you working on?" Eiji asked, his enormous blue orbs staring at me in curiosity.

"Was it those papers I saw you with yesterday?" Oishi-kun queried. Eiji and Momo-chan's mouths dropped.

"When did you guys see each other?" they shouted simultaneously, standing up in surprise. I subconsciously scrunched my shoulders and leaned closer to Oishi. Unbeknownst to me, Fuji-kun noticed this and took note.

"I was walking at the park yesterday when someone ran past me and knocked me over. I spilled my papers when I fell, and Oishi-kun happened to be passing by, so he helped pick them up. We chatted a little bit before he had to take off for a meeting. Then my stomach started complaining about how hungry it was so I went to the burger joint and met you three."

"Souka…" Eiji muttered. Momo-chan remembered something.

"Did you ever find your wallet, Eiko-sempai?"

I shook my no. "Iie. Turns out that scoundrel who pushed me over was a pickpocket. The police have it so I'm going to drop by the station on my way home from school."

"Do you want one of us to walk you, Eiko-chan? My dad's sushi shop is near there, so I could if you don't want to go alone," Taka-san suggested. Oishi-kun nodded in agreement.

"Taka's right; it's not good for you to be alone in a city like this," he said.

"Yeah, you could get hurt, Eiko-sempai!" Momo-chan added.

"My goodness, I don't even know you for one day and you're already protective. Well, I suppose it's a good thing, but still, it's strange being on the other side of the mothering."

"Gomen, Eiko-sempai," Momo-chan apologized, blushing. Without looking up, Ryoma-kun scolded, "Mada Mada Dane, Momo-sempai."

"Echizen!" Momo-chan yelled as he grabbed Ryoma-kun and put him in a headlock.

"Itai! Itai! That hurts, Momo-sempai!" he complained to no avail. Somehow, Kaido-kun and Momo-chan became engaged in yet another one of their arguments. Eiji would occasionally jump in and give his opinion while smothering Ryoma-kun in a well-meaning but unappreciated hug. Ryoma-kun kept complaining, but he wasn't heard over the shouts of Kaido-kun, Momo-chan, and Eiji-kun. Fuji-kun then handed Taka-san his racquet, resulting in the tall boy to go into "burning" mode. Oishi tried desperately to calm him down before he hurt someone. Unfortunately, Taka-san's racquet knocked Tezuka-buchou's bento over, spilling the contents in his face. Buchou simply sat there and scowled.

"Twenty laps at practice, Fuji," Tezuka-buchou ordered. Fuji-kun smiled and retorted,

"Isn't Eiko-chan the one who will be dishing out laps?" The two boys looked at me, waiting for my response.

"Well, umm… Fuji-kun, you should probably listen to Tezuka-buchou, since he's, well, the buchou. Why don't you run them around the tennis courts and then come to practice?" I suggested warily. Both seemed content with it, and nothing more was said of the matter. I simply sat and watched in amusement as the scene unfolded. When the bell rang, all came to attention and said their good-byes before scrambling to their various classes.

"Now _that_ is what I call entertainment," I chuckled as Oishi-kun and I walked to class.

My classmate heaved a sigh. "Then you'll like our group because that's how it always seems to go."

"It reminds me of my friends and I during lunch. Something was always bound to happen. When we weren't talking about some really bizarre, random thing, we were playfully cat fighting or all lying on each other in a heap. Sometimes in our free time we'd get together and have /'wakeovers.'/ "

"/**Wake**overs/?" Oishi-kun asked, a confused look on his face.

"Yeah. It's like a /sleepover/, except that nobody sleeps, so it's called a /**wake**over/. As far as I know, one of my cousins coined the term."

"Hmm… interesting," Oishi-kun mumbled as we walked into the classroom. We took our seats and diligently took notes as the teacher droned on about the Meiji era. Normally, history tied with language (foreign and not) as my favorite subject, but I felt like sleeping sooo badly right then! _Why me?_ I thought. _Why must I get sleepy at the most inconvenient times?_

After an agonizingly boring 80 minutes, it was finally time for homeroom. A kindly young man in his early thirties sat down on the desk and took attendance. He had dark brown hair parted on the left. His bangs swept just above his chocolate brown eyes, which were framed by large, square-ish-shaped wire glasses. He had a friendly demeanor, and the mood had seemed to lighten when he had entered the room.

"Konichiwa, class. Is everyone doing well today?"

"Hai!" everyone responded enthusiastically.

"That's good. Ah! I see we have a new student today. My name is Matsushida Akihiro, but you can call me Akihiro-sensei. Have you been formally introduced to the class yet?"

"Iie," I replied. "There was a little incident with Saito-san, ending with me going to Suzuki-sensei's office…"

The homeroom teacher gave me a knowing look. "I'm surprised that he's still around. He was my math teacher when I was your age."

"No way!" some boy's disbelieving voice cried from the back of the classroom.

"Yes way. Oh, but back to you, miss. Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" I nodded and walked to my sensei. Facing the students, I bowed.

"Konichiwa. My name is Eiko. Please refer to me by my given name, as there is no need for you to know my surname. Any questions?"

"How old are you, and when is your birthday?" a girl with huge glasses, pigtails, and lots of pimples inquired.

"I am 15 years old, and my birthday is on January 17. Anyone else?"

"What kind of music do you like to listen to?" asked a guy with black hair and magenta bangs hanging over one eye. He lounged sideways in his seat and seemed to be the kind of guy who would look at home in clothes that were completely black and had rips in them.

"Mostly American music in the metal and pop/rock genres. However, I like cultural music such as tango, Celtic ballads, and Latin hymns. I basically enjoy music that evokes a certain mood. But like I said, metal is my favorite."

"Right on," he replied.

"Do you play any sports?" queried a [supposedly] handsome boy whose expression said 'I own the world.'

"Just swimming. Backstroke is my favorite, 100 and 200 meter freestyle has my best time, and butterfly is the one I can never get right."

"Oh. Well, if you ever want to see how baseball is played, I'm you're man," he boasted, smoothing his hair back as if that made him look any less ugly. I only nodded. After all, it was my first day. I didn't want to make a bad impression. Still, I felt like shutting that guy's mouth _**so**_ badly. Too bad I was too horrible at the sport to show him up.

"What do you do in your spare time?" asked a girl with brown hair up in a loose ponytail and glasses that had one of the sides missing.

"I read, write, draw, and listen to music."

Before anyone else could ask more questions, Akihiro-sensei said, "Alright, class, that's enough questions for now. You can talk to her after class. Let's get to today's homeroom discussion…"

«∞§∞»

Hey, everybody! I hope you enjoyed yet another chapter of "One Big Happy Family"! I really don't have much to say except for thank you, everyone!

Ja, minna! ^-^


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